How do i know if theres gold on my property

[anklebiter1987]

Hi all ive just gotten into gold detecting as most of the surrounding areas around my property have been founded by gold rushes and are still to this day mining for gold. My family property is around 3000 acres and i want to know if theres gold here but finding information like maps and scans is proving difficult. There is an old copper mine here as well as slate and lots of iron. No rivers or creeks but there is a large mountain range. Ive been out for cursory investigations but so far nadda. Just wondering if anyone can give me some advice. The property is located between forbes and west wyalong nsw.
Cheers
Jess

 

[Tathradj]

By the amount of holes that have been dug. LOL
.
Seriously, Grab a pan and pan the creeks, It looks like you are in a spot that we would like to be in.

 

[Metamorphic]

Sample, sample and sample again......the pan will reveal all.

Its all about exploration, follow the big boys lead

If you get my drift :lol:

 

[Timbuck]

Have a gold finding exploration BBQ and camping weekend at your place and invite everyone on here to come , I'm sure someone will sniff it out if it's there many men/women make for light work , once you get lead in the right direction lock the gates :lol:

Tim

 

[madworld]

Come on tathradj, poor bloke says he has no rivers or creeks and you tell him to pan the creek ... cruel

 

[Heatho]

Try this thread mate, plenty of maps and other info here, will take a bit of research though. Take samples from any lower spots on the property where water flows when it rains should help too.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=11842

 

[Guest]

Hey guys,

I don't think Jess is a "bloke"?

Jess you should be looking for exposed Quartz and Ironstone areas on your property that would be a good start and as Meta said and any old diggings or workings from the old timers. Also topographical maps often have the pick n shovel symbol on them where an old mine use to be.

Cheers

RS

 

[Norvic]

Crazy bit of advice I give you, if you have a detector, detect wherever you have quartz, and even where you don`t. Regardless of how much research you do, it is hours on the detector that produce. I remember when I started out back late 70`s, I asked a fellow a similar question, he stuck his arm out pointing and revolved around 360 deg. "That`s where you`ll find gold". Thought then he`s a secretive bloke and he`s not going to give me any clues, but know now he gave me the best clue. Gold tis where tis.

 

[mdv]

I think the strongest clue to whether your property is gold bearing lies in its history. Was there any activity on what is now your property back in the gold rush days when hundreds and thousands of prospectors moved through the districts? Is there any evidence of old test holes or surface diggings in gullies or on top of hills? Here I would note that the old timers would probably have started their sampling in or alongside creeks as a first indicator of whether the hills were shedding gold - that you have no creek to speak of might suggest the old timers did not stop there to prospect, but instead moved on to where there was some water.

Unless your property lies in what was a proclaimed goldfield, I think you would be unlikely to find historical information on sites such as trove.nla.gov.au that give a really good insight to the gold rush era.

If there is no historical evidence to show your property was gold bearing does not necessarily mean there is no gold there ... but on the other hand it does suggest there was not any worthwhile gold there, at least in the eyes of the old timers.

To find out today whether your property is gold bearing requires the same approach as the old timers ... sample, sample, sample, using geology and topology as your guides. 3,000 acres is a large area to cover, so you must be selective. The lowest lying gullies might be a starting point - see if there any which are holding gravels rich with ironstone and/or quartz. If there is any gold in the hills on your property, it is most likely there should be evidence of alluvial gold in the gullies that make way down towards a creek.

If you wish to swing a detector on the hills, look for areas where there is ironstone and/or quartz on the surface. In particular look for trees with quartz pebbles scattered around their base. These are suggestive indicators only and do not necessarily mean there is gold there. At the end of the day, gold is where it is.

Just my thoughts, noting I am no expert - but I am in a similar situation of having 3,000 acres of family farm in a gold-bearing country. Only differences are that I have a creek which was prospected in the gold rush era, and our property lies in a proclaimed gold field with lots of historical literature to guide me.

 

[RedDirtDigger]

Hi jess, welcome to the forum. There are a lot of gold deposits spread across your region. I lived in wagga once and did find a nugget in Temora and one near west Wyalong. To cut to the chase, do your research as mdv says, then get a dedicated gold detector and check out all the small gullies where there is bedrock in the bottom, paying special attention to where the gullies level out after a decent. If there is gold on the property then some of it will find its way into the gullies.
You probably need a dedicated Minelab gold detector...a 2200 model or later to be sure. If you don't have one, someone local should have. (go halves with them for any gold they find on your property and walk around with them and have ago of the detector. And if you find some gold nuggets, maybe let them visit again once then get yourself a detector)

If your research does not show any workings or mines on your place do not give up. A lack of water made recovery of gold very difficult for the 1800's prospectors out your way and they really needed to find reef mines to get gold. Without water they could not work the alluvial gold. So there are plenty of locations where there is alluvial gold that has not been touched in your general region. There are hundreds of historical (and recent)gold mines between Wyalong -Lake Cowal, Warraderry area and forbes....so you are amongst it.
cheers RDD

 

[Tathradj]

Wonder full what you can do with a 44 full of water.
.
As every one else is saying, Research the area,
,
Try this, http://digsopen.minerals.nsw.gov.au/
Where location is, type the name of the area.

Come on tathradj, poor bloke says he has no rivers or creeks and you tell him to pan the creek ... cruel